Running-shoe.



W/YNESSES M. W. LAWLOR.

RUNNING SHOE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1909.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

ANDREW B, GRAHAM O0. PHOT0-LIYNDGRAPHER$WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNIIED STATES ATENT oEEIoE.

MICHAEL WILLIAM LAWLOR, 0F NEEIJHAM HEIGHTS, MASSACHUSETTS.

RUNNING-SHOE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL WILLIAM LAWLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Needham Heights, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Running-Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shoes, and more particularly to that class of shoes used by athletes while running.

The objects of this invention are, first, to provide a shoe which will afiord the greatest amount of comfort to the wearer; second, to provide a shoe in which the lacings are entirely done away with, thus avoiding accidents while in use; third, to form a shoe which will be strong and durable, and fourth, to provide a shoe which has all of the above-named advantages, and will at the same time be cheap to manufacture. To obtain these objects, I construct a shoe of three sections, namely, a toe section, and a heel section which may be formed of any suitable material, such as leather, and a third section of elastic webbing which is placed intermediate the said toe and heel sections, and forms means by which the same are secured together.

Referring specifically to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved shoe; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same; and Fig. 3 is a view of the shoe showing the same expanded, and ready for application to the wearers foot.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, l designates the toe section of my improved shoe, which is provided with the usual spiked sole, 2, common to shoes of this character.

The numeral 3 designates the heel section, which is spaced from, but secured to, the toe section, 1, by means of an elastic web por- Specifieation of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 25, 1909.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

Serial No. 504,326.

tion 4 which passes entirely around the bottom of the shoe.

The shoe is formed of a suitable blank of the material used, and is secured together by means of a seam 7 which runs along the bottom or sole thereof. A heel stay 5 passes along the bottom of the shoe to its rear extremity where it passes upwardly to the top of the upper, or heel section 3. This heel stay is intended to stiffen the heel section 3, and to protect the bottom seam which extends along the bottom of the shoe.

To protect the elastic web section 4: from wear, the said heel stay 5 is passed over the same as shown at X, the heel stay being exposed to wear at this point instead of the elastic web section 4.

When the shoe is applied to the foot, it is distorted as shown in Fig. 3. In this position the toes of the foot are inserted into the toe section 1 of the shoe, and by reason of the elastic web section 4, the heel section 3 will be drawn upwardly over the heel of the foot, and retained in place thereon.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I form a shoe in which I do away with eyelets, lacings, and trimmings of all sorts, thus greatly cheapening the manufacture of the shoe, and at the same time providing greater comfort and safety for the wearer thereof.

I claim:

In a shoe, a toe section, a heel section, an intermediate section securing the same together, a heel stay passing from the top of the heel section along the bottom of the said shoe on the outside of said intermediate section to protect the same from wear.

In testimony whereof I aifiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL WILLIAM LA'WLOR.

Witnesses:

EUGENE F. LAWLOR, ELMER C. RICHARDSON. 

